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EDI blasted as drivers can't recoup £2 drop-off increase
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Author:  StuartW [ Wed Oct 28, 2020 7:56 pm ]
Post subject:  EDI blasted as drivers can't recoup £2 drop-off increase
Taxi drivers blast Edinburgh Airport's new £4 drop-off fee for leaving them ‘out of pocket’

https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/ ... et-3016975

Taxi drivers will be left £2 “out of pocket” each time they make a drop-off at Edinburgh Airport because of price hikes set to come in next month.

A £4 flat-fee will be introduced for drop-offs and pick-ups from November 9, which means those picking up passengers within 15 minutes will pay £1 less - but those dropping off within a new ten minute window will pay £2 more.

Bosses at Edinburgh Airport say they have been forced to make the changes in response to financial challenges of the coronavirus pandemic which could mean losses of £60 million this year.

But chairman of the Unite Edinburgh cab branch, Scott Blair, fears taxi drivers will not be able to recoup the £2 extra charge as they are fixed to a tariff lasting 18 months which was set at Edinburgh City Council’s sub-licensing committee in March.

Mr Blair, who recently asked for an urgent meeting with committee members over the issue, said: “It looks to me like a blatant money grab because they (Edinburgh Airport) are losing so much business.

“I hope common sense prevails and they realise we will be out of pocket and they consider the financial situation we are facing.”

Councillor Catherine Fullerton, regulatory convener, said the committee took a decision in March to set the amount which could be passed on to customers for drop-off at £2.

She added: “I should also say that Edinburgh Airport set the fees that customers pay.”

‘Difficult decisions’

In March the Edinburgh Evening News reported that, following a vote by councillors, a £5 pick-up charge - increased from £4 in December 2019 - meant an additional cost of £2.10 being paid by taxi drivers for picking up at the airport would also be passed on to customers.

At the time, airport chiefs were accused of “profiteering” by taxi trade leaders, although the airport said they had to make changes to combat congestion and invest in a new access road.

Recently, it emerged that air passenger numbers in Edinburgh were down 91 percent compared to last year and these are not expected to recover until 2022 at the earliest.

The latest pricing changes are designed to boost revenue and help the airport stay competitive.

An Edinburgh Airport spokesman said: “We’re taking difficult decisions to protect jobs and prepare the airport for its recovery, which will feed into the rest of the city.

"This will be a decision for the council's licensing team to take and we hope agreement can be reached.

“We want to provide choice to passengers and our free drop-off area remains an option for those who wish to use it. The area will be temporarily moving to the Mid Stay, making it closer to the terminal.”

It is understood the airport would be supportive of any decision by the council’s licensing team to allow taxi drivers to recoup the extra costs.

The airport’s free drop-off zone is for passengers willing to take a shuttle bus service there to be collected.

Edinburgh Airport will also be opening a new £7 million East Terminus facility in November to provide a dedicated area for taxis and private hire cars.
Author:  edders23 [ Wed Oct 28, 2020 9:06 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: EDI blasted as drivers can't recoup £2 drop-off increase
they've had a big drop in all sources of revenue but guess what it's the cash cow drop off and pick up vehicles getting hammered to make up the shortfall! =;
Author:  Sussex [ Wed Oct 28, 2020 10:33 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: EDI blasted as drivers can't recoup £2 drop-off increase
Surely there is nothing stopping the committee meeting up and adding the fee to the tariff sheet.

Yes it will need to go through the normal process, but it can be done.
Author:  bloodnock [ Wed Oct 28, 2020 11:29 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: EDI blasted as drivers can't recoup £2 drop-off increase
The Coin hopper at the Exit barrier says "Press for Receipt" but it never gives you one...I thought that if you requested a receipt they had to supply one...Newcastle airport Machines never print them either, after a hundred airport runs that makes for a tax deduction wasted due to lack of receipts.
Author:  heathcote [ Thu Oct 29, 2020 1:39 am ]
Post subject:  Re: EDI blasted as drivers can't recoup £2 drop-off increase
Sussex wrote:
Surely there is nothing stopping the committee meeting up and adding the fee to the tariff sheet.

Yes it will need to go through the normal process, but it can be done.


I requested at a tariff review close on 30years ago that all road tolls going or returning from destination were payable by the client to be included in the extras on the Council tariff chart.
The Committee agreed to this request and has been included ever since.
I have encouraged other Association members nationally to do the same but do not know how many listened.
Author:  roythebus [ Thu Oct 29, 2020 1:54 am ]
Post subject:  Re: EDI blasted as drivers can't recoup £2 drop-off increase
"The latest pricing changes are designed to boost revenue and help the airport stay competitive."

How on earth can Edinburgh airport be competitive? Is there more than one airport in the city? Putting up prices for those who bring them business will only hav the opposite effect with cabs refusing to go there.
Author:  StuartW [ Thu Oct 29, 2020 3:15 am ]
Post subject:  Re: EDI blasted as drivers can't recoup £2 drop-off increase
heathcote wrote:
I requested at a tariff review close on 30years ago that all road tolls going or returning from destination were payable by the client to be included in the extras on the Council tariff chart.
The Committee agreed to this request and has been included ever since.
I have encouraged other Association members nationally to do the same but do not know how many listened.

Tyne Tunnel, perchance? :-o

Pretty sure the EDI pick up and drop off fees are included on the Edinburgh tariff card, but think they're specified amounts rather than just saying 'airport fees chargeable', or similar. So although the tariff reviews might mean a bit of a lag if the charges went up by 10% (say), obviously if they're going up hugely like here then 18 month tariff reviews aren't really adequate.

I'm sure our Fife card just says 'road tolls' are chargeable, so that deals with any change that might have happened between tariff reviews, because obviously it's auto-adjusted.

But the road tolls that Fife drivers would have incurred have gone now, because that would just be the Forth Road Bridge and the Tay Road Bridge, and tolls were abolished on all Scottish bridges a few years back :shock:

But I'm wondering if EDI charges could come under 'road tolls' on our Fife tariff card? It's not something I've ever thought about, because EDI is 50 miles from here, so it's not a metered fare, and all the other airports are even further away.

But I'm wondering if it's maybe relevant to the Fife trade closer to Edinburgh, where a £4 drop off charge could be a substantial proportion of the fare. One quirk here is that the Fife tariff card includes a rate for trips beyond the council boundaries, so for the trade closer to Edinburgh it would be a metered tariff to the airport, and the drop-off and pick-up charges at EDI will be a significant cost to the trade just over on the Fife side of the Forth.

So I'm wondering if the 'road tolls' charge on the tariff card allows them to charge the EDI fees :-k
Author:  grandad [ Thu Oct 29, 2020 9:28 am ]
Post subject:  Re: EDI blasted as drivers can't recoup £2 drop-off increase
bloodnock wrote:
The Coin hopper at the Exit barrier says "Press for Receipt" but it never gives you one...I thought that if you requested a receipt they had to supply one...Newcastle airport Machines never print them either, after a hundred airport runs that makes for a tax deduction wasted due to lack of receipts.
`
If it is anything like the Dartford crossing then they do not have to issue a receipt.
I was there a few years back and asked for a receipt and was told this. I argued for a good 5 minutes, holding up the traffic, before they threatened me with the police. I was not happy. When i got home I rang the department for transport to complain about it and they explained that no receipt was required for the crossing. I asked about claiming against my tax and they said that if you just put down how much you have paid at the crossing for the year then HMRC will accept this. I cockily said OK I will claim that I have ben over 20 times a day and his answer was but surely sir if you were going over that often you would already have one of the monthly or annual discount cards that you can buy online where you would have a receipt. Game over!
Author:  edders23 [ Thu Oct 29, 2020 2:17 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: EDI blasted as drivers can't recoup £2 drop-off increase
you can't get receipts for Stansted, Luton, or EMA either but you can for Birmingham :D

I must admit though that i have never been challenged by Ir over the amounts claimed
Author:  Sussex [ Thu Oct 29, 2020 9:15 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: EDI blasted as drivers can't recoup £2 drop-off increase
Never had a problem getting receipts at Heathrow or Gatwick.

As for drivers adding tolls/drop off charges for distance work that would be ok for PH as they can charge what they want, and for out of town hackneys as they can also charge what they like.

The only difficulty is local hackneys, and the only answer is to adjust the tariff card to include tolls and drop off charges.
Author:  StuartW [ Thu Oct 29, 2020 9:28 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: EDI blasted as drivers can't recoup £2 drop-off increase
Sussex wrote:
As for drivers adding tolls/drop off charges for distance work that would be ok for PH as they can charge what they want, and for out of town hackneys as they can also charge what they like.

As I said, Fife Council sets a rate for cross-boundary runs, which is basically T2 night and day.

So to that degree airport charges aren't covered. But from here at the other side of Fife at least, it's academic, because the T2 to EDI is £150, while the going rate is £100 or less, so it's not really an issue.

But for drivers close to EDI (ie drivers just on the Fife side of the Forth Road Bridge) the cross-boundary tariff could be a constraint on recovering the airport charges.

And I think the reference to toll charges on the tariff card has been removed (when the bridge tolls were abolished, presumably), so that couldn't be used to cover the airport charges.
Author:  Sussex [ Thu Oct 29, 2020 9:41 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: EDI blasted as drivers can't recoup £2 drop-off increase
Quote:
As I said, Fife Council sets a rate for cross-boundary runs, which is basically T2 night and day.

They are not unique in that, but I've yet to see a law that allows councils to set or mandate fares for work outside of their licensing area.
Author:  StuartW [ Thu Oct 29, 2020 10:02 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: EDI blasted as drivers can't recoup £2 drop-off increase
Sussex wrote:
Quote:
As I said, Fife Council sets a rate for cross-boundary runs, which is basically T2 night and day.

They are not unique in that, but I've yet to see a law that allows councils to set or mandate fares for work outside of their licensing area.

Indeed, and I considered launching a judicial review, but thought the better of it :-#
Author:  edders23 [ Fri Oct 30, 2020 10:49 am ]
Post subject:  Re: EDI blasted as drivers can't recoup £2 drop-off increase
StuartW wrote:
Sussex wrote:
Quote:
As I said, Fife Council sets a rate for cross-boundary runs, which is basically T2 night and day.

They are not unique in that, but I've yet to see a law that allows councils to set or mandate fares for work outside of their licensing area.

Indeed, and I considered launching a judicial review, but thought the better of it :-#



better buy a lottery ticket then !
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